September church bulletin
What a blessing it was the other week for Tony and I to spend a few hours with Fred and Alison Siebert. We collected Fred’s library, had some exquisite pea and ham soup and chatted. I miss Fred’s dry sense of humour. It’s unfortunate that his health will no longer allow him to minister God’s Word and to engage in church life as he once did. There is a tremendous amount of significance placed upon fellowship in the Bible. It is intended by God to be a means of grace. I left Newcastle feeling spiritually refreshed through the short time we had together. Christians don’t merely gather together like football supporters or fishing enthusiasts. The coming together of brethren is a way of strengthening faith, love, and good works. Heb 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The author to the Hebrews is urging his readers to do more than attend church services. He wants them to take an interest in one another and the progress and expression of each other’s faith. There is to be mutual care for one another’s physical and spiritual welfare. The apostle Paul said “bear one another’s burdens”(Gal 6:2). Jesus said by the love you have for one another the world will know you are my disciples (John 13:35). The Apostles’ Creed states: “I believe in the holy catholic church; the communion of saints”. Catholic in this instance means universal not Roman Catholic; saints are all those set apart to be God’s people. We are living stones being built together as God’s temple. We are the Body of Christ; united together in Him and joined to one another. The hand cannot say it has no need of the foot; when one weeps we must all weep; when one rejoices we are all to rejoice.
It is good for us to consider the significance of fellowship and how it is being outworked in our lives. Certainly coming together on the Lord’s Day is to take centre stage of the week. Life is busy and there are many limitations placed upon our time, but is there any priority given to fellowship beyond the Sunday gathering? As you extend yourself in fellowship you may be a means of grace to others and they to you.
Acts 2:46-47, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added £to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Eph3:17-18, “…… being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”